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Thursday, April 2, 2015

Healthy Habits: Prolacta and Preemies

When my girls were born, I had way too much milk. I donated my milk to a nearby hospital affiliated with Prolacta. The are pros and cons to both Prolacta and milk banks run by other organizations; this is what was available. It was a great feeling knowing that something I had plenty to spare was able to help other babies - especially when my parents' pastor's son ended up in the NICU. Although he may not have gotten my milk, it was nice to know he might have.I was able to interview Prolacta to share more information about their services for preemies.

1) How can breast milk make a difference in
preemies?

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommends that all preterm
infants receive breast milk, be it a mother’s own or donor milk.[i]Mounting scientific evidence supports the use
of an exclusive human milk diet for premature infants in the NICU, as opposed
to cow milk-based nutrition or formula.A study published recently in the journal Breastfeeding
Medicine concluded that an exclusive human milk diet results in lower mortality
for extremely premature infants.[ii] As a result
of this research and other leading studies, the use of an exclusive human milk
diet in the NICU is on the rise.

2) What does Prolacta provide?

Today, thanks to advances in the science of human
milk, preemies have a greater chance to survive and thrive.Critically ill and premature infants have special
dietary needs requiring higher levels of fat, protein and calories than a
full-term baby would need. Prolacta Bioscience offers the first and only
complete line of Neonatal Nutritional Products that are clinically proven[iii],[iv],[v] to
improve health outcomes, decrease mortality[vi] and
reduce healthcare system costs[vii] of
critically ill preemies in the NICU. Prolacta’s innovation in the science of
human milk is changing the standard of care in NICUs nationwide.

3) How can mothers help out?

Moms who have excess breast milk
and want to make a difference in the lives of premature babies, can become a
breast milk donor.www.milkbanking.net is a Prolacta milk banking network that lists
several donation options.All milk
collected goes through a rigorous screening process and is formulated into exclusive
human milk-based nutritional products and sold to hospitals for use in the NICU.

4) What are ways that people can support families
with preemies in the NICU?

There are several organizations
that help support families with preemies in the NICU like the Preemie Parent Alliance and the NEC Society.Organizations such as these
provide things such as support groups, resources, care packages and events for
parents of preemies. Many hospital NICUs also offer ways for people to support
families of preemies.We suggest contacting
your local hospital to see how you can help.

[i]
American Academy of Pediatrics,
“Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk.” Pediatrics. 2012;129:e827